Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Absurdities and Realities of Special Education: The University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives Collection is a complete set of all of the cartoons created by Michael Giangreco with the assistance of the artist Kevin Ruelle. This includes a total of 335 cartoons from four previously published books and searchable CD that went "out of print" in 2019 and a few newer cartoons. Michael Giangreco created the original ideas, text, and sketches for each cartoon and Kevin Ruelle redrew the sketches.
The cartoons in the first three books all were originally in black and white. That was a conscious decision, both for aesthetic and practical reasons. The cartoons were designed to be easily copied on to overhead transparencies for display in classes, workshops, and other learning environments. A group called Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) requested permission to use one of the cartoons on the cover of their magazine and subsequently colorized it. Prompted by Giangreco’s colleagues associated with ALLFIE, Giangreco and Ruelle began to colorize the rest of the images. In this complete digital collection, we have included a total of 335 different digital images; including the 315 different cartoons from the four earlier books, 12 cartoons that were on the CD only, and eight that were not included in any of the previously published books or CD.
Cartoons from the early books have found their way on to the pages of many newsletters disseminated by schools, parent groups, disability advocacy organizations, and professional associations. They have appeared in books, manuals, and journals; a few were even published in a law journal. The cartoons have been used extensively as projected slides or within learning activities in college classes, at conferences, in workshops, and at other meetings. Parents have framed cartoons that closely reflected their own experiences and hung them in their homes or offices. Other parents have used them in meetings with professionals to help get their points across. They have been given as gifts to people who "get it" and handed out as door prizes. The Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights used them as part of "Disability Awareness Day" at the Vermont legislature. The cartoons can be used in innumerable creative ways.
Showing 151 - 160 of 342 Records
Placement Matters
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a car driving away with a bird nest on the tire and the bird flapping her wings and trying to fly away. The tag line reads "Examples from nature remind us that placement really does matter." A note on the left says, "Inspired by a robin in my yard."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Fear of Formulas
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a man watching TV. The man on the TV is saying "A new national study revealed that a majority of the nation's special education teachers choose their college major to avoid taking advanced math classes." The man watching the TV's thought bubble says "And all this time I thought I was the only one." The tag line reads "Having never advanced past math 101 (math in everyday life), Fred is comforted by the realization that he was not alone in his fear of formulas."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Three Bears
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a Mama bear, a Papa bear, and a Baby bear sitting on Papa bear's lap. Mama bear is sitting on a stump knitting listening to Papa bear who is sitting in a chair reading to Baby bear. Papa bear reads out loud "When Goldilocks went to school, they gave her support services. The first set was too small and it didn't fit...the next set was too big and didn't fit...the next set was just right and it fit!" The tag line reads, "Support services that are 'only as special as necessary' fit just right!"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Family-Centered Approaches
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a group of educators sitting in chairs in a circle with a man and a woman sitting in the center of the circle back to back. The woman says to the man, "This isn't exactly what I had in mind." The man says "Me either." The tag line reads "Family - Centered approaches gone bad."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Head in the Clouds
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows two people standing at the top of a mountain overlooking a town with their heads in the clouds. The tag line reads, "Inclusive Education: Proving you can dream with your head in the clouds and still have your feet on the ground."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Placement Problem #32
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a classroom of students with one very large older boy sitting with all the other younger children. The tag lines reads "Placement problem #32: Functioning level rather than chronological age."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
High Anxiety
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a circus tent with a high wire stretched across the center. On one end of the wire is a platform with a sign on it with the word, "Vision" in big letters. On the other end of the wire is another platform with two men standing there. One man is holding a balancing pole with a bag of money on each end (he is nervous and says, "gulp" the other man standing behind him on the ladder says, "That's the plan. Now go for it." The Ring Master on the ground says, "...And without a net..." The tag line reads, "Unless you have the skills, it's high anxiety."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Desperate Measures
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a panel with a banner at the top that says, "Math Standards" bordered on the top and bottom with a variety of math symbols. On the left of the panel is a ruler saying, "So, you're willing to do whatever it takes to meet the standards?" Next to the ruler at the bottom middle of the panel is a measuring cup who is saying, "Just name it we'll do it." and on the right side of the panel is a set square saying, "Please, we'll do anything you say." The tag line reads, "Desperate Measures."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Common Denominator
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a chalkboard with a complicated equation on it. There is a woman sitting on a chair in front of the chalkboard, she has circled a statement in the denominator of the answer that says, "Kids lives will be better because they went to our school!" She exclaims, "I've Got It!" The tag line reads, "Following fierce figuring and formulating Fern finds the common denominator of quality education."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Raising the Bar
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a winding path with the word "curriculum" written on it leading to a pole vault bar, with judge standing on either side. Above the bar it says, "standards" and below the bar it says, "assessments." There is a pole vaulter attempting to clear the bar, but he has missed and hit one of the uprights on the side and loudly exclaims, "OUCH!" The tag line reads, "Raising the bar has a chance only when curriculum, assessment and instruction are aligned."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks